And so it Began
by MariCareBear
Summary: Luke and Lorelai's first meeting...and their first fight over coffee...


**_And so it Began_**

This just kind of popped into my head...dunno if it's very good...but the idea struck me and kept beating me over the head so I couldn't ignore it...and when you constantly have a 18-month-old literally beating on you whatever you can do to relieve the metaphorical part is def good!

"Mommy," 8-year-old Rory yawns as she glances up at her mother.

"Yeah sweetie?" Lorelai asks, she and Rory had been trudging all over Stars Hollow, all day to look at houses in their price rang and both of them were exhausted.

"I'm really hungry," Rory yawns again.

With the thought of the cost of buying a house weighing on her mind the idea of an unnecessary of eating out when they could eat for free at the inn didn't appeal to her. "Can you wait sweetie?" Lorelai glances down and brushes Rory's bangs out of her face, it was late and exhaustion was written on her face. "No, I'm hungry too." Lorelai glances around the streets, they hadn't really eaten out in the years that Lorelai had lived in Stars Hollow and she had no idea what was around to eat.

"What about Luke's?" Rory points at a diner across the street.

Lorelai shrugs, "why not?"

"We're closed," the gruff voice comes from behind the counter but the man is out of sight.

Rory's face falls and Lorelai states, "your sign says you're still open."

The man stands up and his look exactly fits his personality, from his scruffy five o'clock shadow and hair to his backwards baseball cap. "We'll we're closed."

"Mommy," Rory pulls on Lorelai's shirt not wanting her mother to cause a scene.

"This will only take a minute sweetie. The sign says you're open that's false advertisement."

"Well," both Rory and Lorelai can tell that the man is getting upset.

So Rory jumps in, on the verge of tears, "Mommy, it's okay. I'm not that hungry, I'll just eat when we get home."

The man sighs, "fine, but the kitchen's closed so it'll have to be something cold. And sit at the bar, I don't feel like wiping down another table."

"Thank you sir," Rory responds politely as she pulls herself up onto the barstool.

The man's face visible softens, "it's fine. What can I get you?"

"Can I have chocolate milk and a ham and cheese sandwich?" Rory asks meekly.

"And a salad?" The man suggests.

Rory shakes her head and crinkles her nose, "I don't like salad."

"What if I make you a deal?" The man offers, "how about you eat a salad and I'll bring out some fries?"

"But those are hot!" Rory exclaims.

The man shrugs, "doesn't matter."

Rory grins at him, "thank you!

"Think nothing of it," turning toward Lorelai the man asks, "what can I get you?"

"A large cup of coffee..."

"Don't serve it." The man replies.

"Excuse me?" Lorelai raises an eyebrow, "how can you not serve coffee?"

"The stuff'll kill you I don't serve it..."

"I'd like to speak to the manager," Lorelai states. "I would like him to know what rude employee he has."

"I can't get you the manage," the man states. "But I can get you the owner."

"Even better," Lorelai stands up her face red with anger.

"Hi," the man extends his hat, "I'm Luke."

Lorelai's eyes narrow, "please tell me you're joking."

"Nope," Luke states. "Now did you have a complaint to lodge?"

At Rory's giggles Lorelai turns to her daughter, "stop giggling...I'm in desperate need of coffee...sure stab me in the back, take his side."

Rory leans forward across the counter and blocks her mouth with her hand, "She gets like this if she doesn't have coffee."

"So basically she'll drive you crazy if I don't give her what she wants?" Luke asks.

Rory nods, "uh-huh."

"I'll see if I can find some, somewhere..." Luke sighs, "but I'm doing this for your daughter. By no means am I doing this for you."

Rory grins up at the man and giggles again, "thank you."

"Will this work?" Luke comes back out of the kitchen minutes later with a cup of coffee for Lorelai and the food Rory had ordered.

Lorelai immediately takes a sip of the coffee and comments, "for a guy who doesn't serve coffee, it's good. I'll be back for more."

"But I don't serve coffee."

"Please?" Lorelai asks sticking her lower lip out.

"I..." Luke looks stuck. "I suppose I could keep a pot going every once in awhile."

Lorelai grins up at Luke, "thanks!"

"I'm Rory," the eight-year-old introduces herself. "And that's my mom, we have the same name. But you can call her Lorelai cause that's what everyone calls her."

Lorelai sticks her hand out and Luke shakes it, "my daughter likes to introduce us. Lorelai Gilmore."

"Luke Danes," Luke responds. "So are you just moving here?"

Lorelai shakes her head, "no. We live at the Independence Inn, I work there and Rory goes to school near there. We're looking for a new house, but we can't find anything!"

Nobody ever leaves Stars Hollow." Luke states, "so you might have a hard time finding a place."

Lorelai nods, "I'm learning that. Guess we'll just have to wait for someone to die. Until then an apartments fine with us, right Ror?"

Lorelai and Luke both glance at the young girl and in the few minutes they had been talking she had fallen asleep using her arms as a pillow.

"It's been a long day," Lorelai comments, "I need to get her home." Gently brushing Rory's forehead she whispers, "Rory, sweetie..."

"You're going to wake her up?" Luke asks, slightly awed by the sleeping girl.

"Well, I can't carry her all the way back to the inn. She may look little but she's heavy."

"I can carry her," Luke offers.

"No..." Lorelai shakes her head.

"I'm awake," Rory yawns just as the phone rings.

"Thank you," Lorelai smiles, "for the offer."

"Sure," Luke waves.

"I'll be back for coffee." Lorelai states and then adds, "you should answer your phone."

"Yeah," Luke nods and taking a few steps away from where the mother and daughter are gathering their things he picks up the phone. "Luke's. Oh hey, Rachel." Luke stares at the two as they walk out of the diner unsure of how a little girl and her mother had managed to brighten his day. "No, no I'm still here. Yeah. A visit? Tha'd be great."


End file.
